The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-23


as well as the Federal govern !
nont, appreciate the awful statistics that,
while years AGO in this country there was
set apart 49, ,090,0 600 acres Of land for
school purposes, there are now in New Eng
land 191 800 people who can neither read
nor write, and in the state of Pennsylvania
229922, 500 who can neither read nor write.
and in the state of New York 24f, OO0 who
can neither read nor WRITE while in tho
United States there are nearly 6,G00,O0)
who can neither read nor write. Statistic7
enough TO stagger and confound any mar.
who loves his God and his country. Now,
n view Of this fact, ! am in favor Of COM
puIsory education. When parents are 80
bestial rs to neglect TINS duty to the child,
l say the law, with a strong hand, at the
same time with a gentle hand, ought to
lead these little ones into the light Of
intelligence and good morals. 1t was G
beautiful tableau when in our city
swarthy policeman having picked up a
lost child III the street, was found appeas-
ing itsscries with stick of candy he had
bought at the apple stand. That was
weu done, and beautifully done. But,
oh! these thousands Of little ones through
our streets who are crying for the brea1
of KNOWLEDGE and intelligence. Shall we
not give it TO them? The officers of the
law ought to go down into the cellars, and
up into the garrets, and bring out these
benighted little ones and put them under
educational influences; after they have
passed through the bath and under the
comb, putting before them the spelling
book, and teaching them to read the
Lords Prayer and the sermon on the
mount: blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom Of Heaven"
Our city ought to be father and mother
both to these outcaSt little ones. AS a
recipe for the cure of much Of the woe,
and want and crime -four city, give the
words which ThorWaldsen had chiseled on
the open scroll III the hand of the statue
of John Gutenberg, the inventor of the art
Of printing: ''I.et there be lghtn'
Still further: Reformatory societies are
an important clement in the TcctificGtion
Of the public fountain. Without calling
any Of them by name, I refer more espe-
cialiy TO those which recognize the phys
ical as well as the moral woes of the
world. There was pathGS and a great
deal of common sense in what tha poor
woman said to DR.. Guthrie when he was
telling her what Il very good woman she
ought to be. ''Oh," she said, ''if you
were as hungry and cold as / am, you
could think Of nothing g se.' | believe
the great want of our city is the Gospel
and something TO eat. Iaith and repent
ance are Of infinite Importance; but they
cannot satisfy an empty stomach. You
have to go forth in this work with tie
bread Of eternal life III your right hand
ana the bread of this life in your left
hand, and then yeu can touch them, I'M
itating the Lord jesus Christ, who first
broke The bread and fed the multitude in
the wilderness, and then began to preach.
recognizing the fact that while people are
hungry they win not listen and they VIII
not repent We want more common sense
in the distribution of OEr charities; fewer
magnificent theories, and more hard
work.
Still further: The great remedial in
fueuce is the gospel Of Christ. Take that
down through the lanes Of suffering. Take
that down amid the novels Of sin. Take
that up amid the mansions and palaces Of
yotlr city. That IS the salt that can cure
all the poisoned fountains Of public in
EQUITY Do You know that in this cluster
Of three cities New York, jersey City and
brooklyn. there are great multitude 02
homeless children? You see speak more
in regard to the youth and the children OF
the country, because old villains are
seldom reformed, and, therefore, | talk
more about the little ones. They sleep
under the stOops, in the burned out safe,
in the wagons in the streets, on the bGrges,
wherever they can get q board to cover
them. And in the summer they sleep all
night long in the parks. Their destitution
is wen set forth by an incident. a city
missionary asked one of them: "Where is
your home?" Said he: 81 don't have no
home, sir" 'Well, where are your father
and motherf' ''They are dead, sir. -
'Did you ever hear Of Jesus Christi" ''No,
don't think l ever heard OF him" 'Did
YOU ever hear Of God?'' ''Yes, I've heard
of God. Some Of the poor people think it
kind of lucky at night to say something
over about that before they go to sleep.
| Yes, sir, I've heard of him." Think of a
conversation like that in q Christian city.
| How many are waiting for you to come
| ont in the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ
! and rescue them from the wretchedness
| here, Oh, that 4he church Of God had
! arms long enough and hearts warm
| enough to take them up! How many of
| them there are! AS | was thinking OF
| the subject this morning, it seemed to me
| rs though there was a great brink, and
that these little ones with cut and torn
feet were coming on toward it. And here
! is n group of orphans, Oh fathers and
mothers, what do you think of these
fatherless and motherless little ones? Nc
hand at home to take care of their ap-
! parpl, no heart to pity them. Said one
l.-la one, when the mother died: ''WhC
viii take care Of my clothes noW?' The
Iittle ones are thrown out in this great
cold world. They are sAivcring ON Tho
brink like lambs on the verge Of a prect
/ pico Does not your blood run cold rs
! they so over it,
And here Il mother group that come on
/ t. Hard the precip.ce. They are the chill
| drtu Of bcsotteI parents. They are worse
OF than orphans. Look at that palC
check: woe blcached it, Look at thai
/ cash acToss the forehead; the father
! struck Il. Hear that heart piercing cry
drunken mniher's blasphemy compell2,
il. All we come ont Gud say: 80 ye Suf
fer.ng, peeled and hlistcrsd ones, we coEl
70 help you" "Too latar' cry thousand
OF voices: ''the path we travel is steer
down. and we can't stop. Too IateW Au(
we catch cur breath and make n terrific
outcry. "Too later' is echoed frolu tht
ruret to the cellar, from the gin shop ant
from tie brothcl ''Too laten 1t is to-
late, and they so over.
Here is another group an army @
acrlented children. They come on towar,
the brink, and every time they step 1890
hearts break. The ground is red with tn
blood OF their feet. The air j. heavy wit
their groans. Their ranks are BEING fillet
ND from all the houses Of iniquity an,
shame. Skeleton Despair pushes them o.
toward the brink. The death kncll ha
already begun 10 toll and the angels c
God hover like birds over GhS plunge of
CATARACT While these children are on III
brink they halt, and throw out their hand
and cry: "Heip. help'' Oh, church G
God, will You help Men and Wome
bought by the blood o. the Son q Sod
VIII you help. while Christ cries from th
: heavens: save them from going down;
am the ransom.
/ stopped on the street and Just locke
}t The face OF one OF those little oncs
, Have you ever examined the faces Of th
uoeleetld children Of tie poor? Othc
children Aeyg glaGness i'll their faces
40 r